Families and fun-seekers who want Carnival's casual, lively style and low base fares.
Think twice if: Many extras cost money (steakhouse, sushi, some bars); budget for add-ons.
See her Europe sailings ↓ · Where is she now? → · Carnival Cruise Line's page for this ship →
What she's like
A floating resort with the most to do. Expect lines at boarding, the buffet and tender boats. About 35 tons of ship per guest. As a rule of thumb, 40 or more feels roomy and under 30 feels busy.
Unknown from line's site.
Our judgment, from $ (budget) to $$$$$ (ultra-luxury).
Cabin, main dining, Lido buffet, entertainment, kids' clubs, basic drinks (non-bottled water, lemonade, iced tea, regular coffee and tea). Alcohol, soda, specialty dining, Wi-Fi, excursions and gratuities extra.
Infants must be at least 6 months old; Camp Ocean kids' program (supervised meals for ages 2-11).
'Cruise Casual' evenings; 'Cruise Elegant' nights: two on 6+ day cruises, one on select 5-day-or-shorter cruises.
Her Europe sailings, May 2027 to October 2027
15 sailings in Europe on the published schedule, 7 to 10 nights. Tap a start port to see how to get from the airport to the ship.
Where they start
- Barcelona , 10 sailings how to get there →
- Civitavecchia (Rome) , 4 sailings how to get there →
- Dover , 1 sailing how to get there →
What it costs beyond the fare
| Tips for the crew | $17 per person per day; Suites: $19 per person per day; Added to your bill automatically |
|---|---|
| Drinks package | CHEERS! Beverage Program; every adult 21+ in the cabin must buy it; refundable until 10pm ET the evening before sailing. Price not published. |
| Wifi | Paid plans; Premium Multi-Device plan $90 per day (pre-purchase only, up to 4 devices). Other plan prices not published. |
| Specialty restaurants | Extra charge at Steakhouse and other specialty venues; prices not published. |
| Money on board | USD (Sail & Sign account in USD) |
How tipping and money work on a European cruise → · Build a full trip budget →
Her restaurants · 4 included, 5 extra
| Where to eat | Cost |
|---|---|
| Bonsai Sushi | Extra charge |
| Seaday Brunch | Included |
| Cucina del Capitano | Extra charge |
| Guy's Burger Joint | Included |
| Lido Marketplace | Included |
| Steakhouse | Extra charge |
| JiJi Asian Kitchen | Extra charge |
| JavaBlue Café | Extra charge |
| BlueIguana Cantina | Included |
Which cabin to book, and which to avoid
The line doesn't publish cabin sizes for this ship that we could find.
Good to know before you pick
- Deck 3 forward cabins sit beside the lifeboat row on both sides
- Deck 9 forward-midship cabins are just forward of the Beach Pool and bars; Deck 8 aft cabins sit under the Deck 9 Lido Marketplace
- Deck 10 cabins sit beside the Cloud 9 Spa (spa cabins)
- Deck 11 and 12 forward cabins sit beside Serenity areas
- Deck 5 stern cabins (5301-5347) sit directly aft of the Alchemy Bar and Ocean Plaza dance floor
If you use a wheelchair or walk with difficulty
Wheelchair assistance max guest weight 325 lb. Europe departures: accessible airport transfers require taking a few steps onto the coach with a collapsible wheelchair. Tender policy not published. Elevators: Three elevator banks (EL): forward, midship and aft Our accessibility guide →
Find your way around
Our own deck plans, drawn from the line's official plan: tap a deck to see it from above, with what's at the front, middle and back of the ship. Use “Find on board” to light up every deck with a pool, a bar or a restaurant. Not to scale.
- Deck 14 · Serenity , Serenity, bar and spa tub
- Deck 12 · Forward / Aft Deck 12 , Serenity (forward section); SkyGreens (mini golf)
- Deck 11 · Serenity & SportSquare , Serenity pool; SportSquare; Sky Track
- Deck 10 · Spa & WaterWorks , Cloud 9 Fitness Center; Fitness Studio; Thermal Suites; Cloud 9 Spa; Cloud 9 Salon; Carnival Seaside Theater; Camp Ocean; Circle C; Club O2; WaterWorks
- Deck 9 · Lido , Blue Iguana Tequila Bar; RedFrog Rum Bar; Beach Pool; Blue Iguana Cantina; Guy's Burger Joint; Lido Marketplace; Pizzeria del Capitano; The Deli; Cucina del Capitano; JiJi Asian Kitchen; Havana Bar
- Deck 8 , Bridge; Cabins
- Deck 7 , Cabins
- Deck 6 , Cabins
- Deck 5 · Promenade , Liquid Lounge (upper level); The Fun Shops; Sunshine Atrium; Skybox Sports Bar; The Warehouse Arcade; Sunshine Casino and Casino Bar; JavaBlue Cafe; Shake Spot; Ocean Plaza and dance floor; RedFrog Pub; Alchemy Bar
- Deck 4 · Mezzanine , Liquid Lounge (stage); Bar; Pixels Gallery; Sunshine Atrium; Photo Studio; The Library; Piano Bar 88; Fahrenheit 555 Steakhouse; Bonsai Sushi; Limelight Lounge; Sunrise Dining Room (upper level)
- Deck 3 · Lobby , Carnival Adventures; Guest Services; Sunshine Atrium and Bar; Sunset Dining Room; Galley; Sunrise Dining Room
- Deck 2 · Main , Cabins
- Deck 1 , Cabins
What to book, and when
Booking, check-in and reservations
Online check-in and changes up to 11:59pm ET two days before sailing. Sign-language interpreter: 60 days' notice encouraged.
Paying and cancelling
not published from pages checked.
Tips for her Europe sailings
US citizens need a passport valid 6 months beyond travel; UK sailings need the UK ETA (all travelers, including children).
The ship in numbers
- Cruise line
- Carnival Cruise Line
- Kind of ship
- Mass-market
- Built
- 1996
- Last refit
- 2025
- Guests
- 3,002
- Crew
- 1,040
- Gross tons
- 103,881
- Length
- 272 m (892 ft)
- Width
- 36 m (116 ft)
- Flag
- Bahamas
- Class
- Destiny class (rebuilt as Sunshine class)
- Ship number
- IMO 9070058
- In Europe 2026–27
- Western Mediterranean, Eastern Mediterranean & Greek Isles, Adriatic, British Isles, Atlantic Coast (Spain, Portugal, France)
Highlights
- Built 1996 as Carnival Destiny; rebuilt and renamed in 2013 (Wikipedia)
- About 3,002 guests and 1,040 crew (Carnival)
- Refits in 2013, 2018, 2021 and 2025 (Wikipedia)
- Carnival's European program is small; check that this ship has a Europe sailing in your dates
More pictures
Sources & what we could not confirm · 8 sources · checked 2026-11
- Carnival: Carnival Sunshine ship page (deck plan section)
- Wikipedia: Carnival Sunshine (secondary)
- VesselFinder: Carnival Sunshine (IMO 9070058)
- Carnival FAQ
- Carnival: accessibility onboard
- Carnival: onboard internet
- Carnival Sunshine Deck Plan & Accommodations (PDF linked from ship page, page 2, Registry: The Bahamas)
- CruiseTimetables.com: Carnival Sunshine schedule (independent listing)
- deck plan is an interactive widget on the ship page; venues by deck could not be read
- beam, speed, refurbishment year from Wikipedia
- flag from VesselFinder
- Europe note is general, not from the ship page
- Carnival Cruise Line: CHEERS! price
- Carnival Cruise Line: Standard Wi-Fi plan prices
- Carnival Cruise Line: Deposit/final payment/cancellation schedule
- Carnival Cruise Line: Tender policy for wheelchair users
- Carnival Cruise Line: Nationality mix on Europe sailings
- Deck plan: Deck 14 Serenity piece position along the ship not shown on the plan
- Deck plan: Cabin sizes not stated in the PDF